I highly recommend trying new authors. You can get the recommendations from a fellow book lover that you trust or you can research books on More Than a Review. I am thrilled to find so many new authors this year. I hope you will give them a try.
Collision of Lies by Tom Threadgill
Collision of Lies by Tom Threadgill is a mind-blowing suspense. More than once I was like who thinks of this stuff. The author createed a world of fascinating characters, lighthearted moments and unique plot lines.
Amara is a police detective working burglaries. However she desperately wants to work homicides. She gets involved with the mom of one of the students that died in a horrific school bus accident three years ago. The mother thinks her son is still alive and convinces Amara to help her with a little bit of research into it.
I enjoyed the banter between Amara and Starsky (a homicide detective) and I still want to know how he got his nickname. I also enjoyed Sara, the Texas Ranger and Amara working together. The author created an excellent nerdy character in the coroner and very strong female leads in Sara and Amara.
The burglary case that Amara worked was a great addition to the story. Quirky characters & surprising plot twists create a very fine story that is as unusual as it is entertaining.
T-H-B by Randy Dockens
In T-H-B we meet Luke who is an astrophysicist in 2089. He is working on a missing to Mars. I am typically not a fan of science fiction but Randy wrote the book so well that it all seems possible.
Luke finds a piece of paper with the letters T-H-B on them and sets out on an adventure to find out what they mean and how they impact the world as he knows it. There are five secondary characters that assist him and they are an excellent addition to the story. Each of them bring their own set of strengths and personalities to the table.
In addition, we have a budding and clean romance between Luke and Sarah. I highly recommend this book to someone who likes a good mystery. I was shocked when the meaning behind T-H-B was finally revealed.
The Number of Love (Codebreakers) by Rosanna M. White
The Number of Love by Rosanna White was a very enjoyable read and my first book by Roseanna. I was thrilled to learn it is book one in the Codebreakers Series! I will be looking for the next in the series and have already added most of her previous books to my TBR list.
She created a remarkable character in both Margot and Drake. Margot is the only woman codebreaker in Room 40. She is wicked smart. Picture a female Sheldon . She deciphers codes that have been intercepted. She thinks in numbers.
Drake was adorable. He accepted that she was crazy smart and was intrigued by her even more; not intimidated. He was perfect for her which was shown in how he decided to woo her.
I enjoyed her relationship with Drakes sister as much as I did her relationship with Drake. Roseanna was able to capture the acceptance and friendship of two women that very different from each other.
There was also a captivating mystery with the story. Truly I would have loved the story even if it was just the relationships. They were that good.
The Gryphon Heist by James R Hannibal
The Gryphon Heist is an exciting adventure in the vein of Ocean’s 11, Mission Impossible and Leverage. The lead character is a female rookie CIA officer that I related to immediately. James creates a male geeky partner for her without romantic intentions. Their interactions and scenes were fun and made the characters more human.
Adam is the civilian partner with plenty of resources and talents. He convinces her boss that they should look into the security for a Moldovan executive. Talia is not excited about this babysitting assignment. However when she meets the young, charming and charismatic executive her thoughts change slightly.
Adam and Talia build a team for an epic heist you get to mean some highly skilled and crazy secondary characters. I can totally see this book playing out as a movie.
I highly recommend the book if you enjoy a con where you are trying to figure out who you can trust and who is one step ahead of who.
Secrets Never Die by Laurie Lewis
Secrets Never Die by Laurie Lewis was recommended to me by a fellow book reviewer. I started the book without reading the book description so the first chapter totally shocked me.
Tallie had a tough childhood but I loved the skills that Julia taught her. Tallie is on a quest to find her father and comes to Cutler’s Ridge. Julia tried to prepare her that the answer may hurt.
Jackson is an investigative reporter. The author did a great job with his character since I would have hated him from his previous mistake. He wanted to blame Chamberlain for his mistakes but in my opinion they were a test of his character and he failed. Jackson is sent to Cutler’s Ridge to investigate a situation.
Before long Tallie and Jackson realize that their situations a closely tied to each other. This plot was so intricate I cannot image the spreadsheet or drawing the author must have had to keep up with all of it. The author was able to make me gasp (I scared my husband) and shock me. I LOVE it when an author can do that!! I was still thinking about the characters when I woke up this morning. The book will get you to thinking. I would love a sequel. I think Tallie and Jackson would make a great investigative team.
This would make a great book club read. Lots of decisions and situations that could be discussed. What would you do in the situations of Jackson and Chamberlain.
The Mystery of the Painted Book By KS Mitchell
The Mystery of the Painted Book by KS Mitchell is a delightful read. The twins, Pen and Quin are not happy about spending the summer with their grandparents in Mexico. Pen, short for Penelope creates a website advertising them as International Agents of Intrigue. It doesn’t take long for them to get their first client. They are asked to track down the Codex Cardona; a 15th century painted book. It is rumored to be cursed and they start to wonder when bad things start happening.
The author created Interesting characters in Pen and Quin that you could relate to. I loved how each of the twins had their own talent that helped them throughout the book. In addition, you had your normal sibling banter.
The Mystery of the Painted Book will appeal to fans of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Well plotted novel that I enjoyed from start to finish. I am looking forward to see if it will become a series.
Living Lies By Natalie Walters
Living Lies by Walters is book to keep you on the edge of your seat and deliver an important message at the same time.
The opening scene captures your attention and creates a ton of questions in your mind. Lane deals with depression and the author gives a very accurate portrayal of depression. From a serious perspective, I found her descriptions of growing up with it the most interesting. You don’t realize what a child or teen must feel when they have depression and not understand what it is or how to deal with it and why they are different. Her family dynamics added more complications in dealing with it.
We also have a mystery of a murdered young woman. One of the suspects is a veteran from Vietnam who deals with PTSD. Once again the author did an amazing job of sharing not only his experiences, his trouble coping but also reminding us of how unfairly they were treated when they returned.
In addition to all of this was a beautiful romance. Charlie the new detective is a retired Marine who has his own experiences of depression and its repercussions. His acceptance of her and his growing feelings were beautiful. It is what you want in any relationship: that acceptance and that feeling that we are in this together. The question is can she accept it.
I highly recommend this book. It takes on more serious subject matter and is worth the read.